The present invention relates to apparatus for spraying a variety of fluid or semi-fluid products including, but not limited to, coating products, cleaning products, hairsprays, and the like.
In such apparatus, a product in fluid form is placed under pressure or is entrained in a carrier fluid under pressure and is then emitted from a nozzle in the form of a spray having a certain dispersion pattern. The configuration of the dispersion pattern depends, inter alia, on the size and shape of the spray opening formed in the nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,519 discloses a spray nozzle having a plurality of spray openings, each having a different size. The nozzle can be rotated to bring a selected spray opening into position to produce a spray. In this manner, a limited number of spray dispersion patterns can be produced from a single nozzle. Nozzle size influences both dispersion pattern and spray droplet size.
These nozzles have only a limited number of settings and are made of a number of parts whose assembly requires a certain level of skill and dexterity.